diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
index 5373052731..7bb147e550 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
@@ -1416,7 +1416,10 @@ jobs:
     needs:
       - prepare
       - candidate_qualification
-    if: ${{ needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' }}
+    # Beta qualification deliberately permits skipped integration ancestors.
+    # Override implicit success(), but reject workflow cancellation even after
+    # both direct prerequisites have succeeded.
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 5
     permissions:
@@ -1455,7 +1458,7 @@ jobs:
       - prepare
       - build_release_candidate
       - create_release
-    if: ${{ always() && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' && needs.publish_release_tag.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.build_release_candidate.result == 'success' && needs.create_release.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only != 'true' && github.event.inputs.draft_only != 'true' }}
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' && needs.publish_release_tag.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.build_release_candidate.result == 'success' && needs.create_release.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only != 'true' && github.event.inputs.draft_only != 'true' }}
     permissions:
       contents: read
       packages: write
@@ -1538,7 +1541,7 @@ jobs:
       - publish_release_tag
       - prepare
       - validate_release_assets
-    if: ${{ always() && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' && needs.publish_release_tag.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.validate_release_assets.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only != 'true' && github.event.inputs.draft_only != 'true' }}
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' && needs.publish_release_tag.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.validate_release_assets.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only != 'true' && github.event.inputs.draft_only != 'true' }}
     permissions:
       contents: write
       packages: write
@@ -1558,7 +1561,7 @@ jobs:
       - publish_release_tag
       - publish_docker
       - publish_helm_chart
-    if: ${{ always() && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' && needs.publish_release_tag.result == 'success' && needs.publish_docker.result == 'success' && needs.publish_helm_chart.result == 'success' }}
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.candidate_qualification.result == 'success' && needs.publish_release_tag.result == 'success' && needs.publish_docker.result == 'success' && needs.publish_helm_chart.result == 'success' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 5
     steps:
@@ -1705,7 +1708,7 @@ jobs:
       - prepare
       - create_release
       - stage_private_pro_runtime
-    if: ${{ always() && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.create_release.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only != 'true' && github.event.inputs.draft_only != 'true' && ( !startsWith(needs.prepare.outputs.version, '6.') || needs.stage_private_pro_runtime.result == 'success' ) }}
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.create_release.result == 'success' && needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only != 'true' && github.event.inputs.draft_only != 'true' && ( !startsWith(needs.prepare.outputs.version, '6.') || needs.stage_private_pro_runtime.result == 'success' ) }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 10
     permissions:
@@ -1779,7 +1782,7 @@ jobs:
       - release_readiness
       - dispatch_release_convergence
       - stage_private_pro_runtime
-    if: ${{ always() && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.create_release.result == 'success' && needs.release_readiness.result == 'success' && needs.dispatch_release_convergence.result == 'success' }}
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && needs.prepare.result == 'success' && needs.create_release.result == 'success' && needs.release_readiness.result == 'success' && needs.dispatch_release_convergence.result == 'success' }}
     continue-on-error: true
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 15
diff --git a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md
index 54f50653c0..c4b1ef4130 100644
--- a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md
+++ b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/deployment-installability.md
@@ -5464,3 +5464,34 @@ draft shell with recording fake APIs. It must reject changed/unknown/branch
 historical targets before any API mutation, admit same-identity recovery and
 private replacement, and preserve activated/published refusals. This is local
 workflow proof, not publication or installed acceptance.
+
+### Qualified publication after optional skipped checks
+
+The public tag writer must use an explicit status function and require both
+preparation and candidate qualification to succeed. Beta policy can intentionally
+skip integration tests upstream of qualification; GitHub's implicit `success()`
+must not suppress tag publication after the qualification join accepts that
+skip. Failure, cancellation or skipping of either direct prerequisite must still
+block publication. This changes no qualification requirement or immutable identity.
+
+Regression: `CandidatePublicationBoundaryTest.test_qualified_beta_tag_survives_intentionally_skipped_ancestor`
+in `scripts/release_control/release_promotion_policy_test.py` models the skipped
+ancestor and all adverse direct-prerequisite outcomes. Existing writer tests retain
+the candidate-failure and draft barriers. Source validation is not hosted recovery
+or evidence that a previously frozen workflow has changed.
+
+### Workflow cancellation at the public writer boundary
+
+Explicit status guards for tag, Docker and Helm publication, readiness, convergence
+dispatch and activation use `!cancelled()`, not `always()`. A cancelled workflow
+must not start or retain these jobs merely because its prerequisites already
+succeeded. Successful beta qualification still admits intentionally skipped
+ancestors; every existing prerequisite and immutable-identity check is retained.
+Cancellation cannot undo an external write already completed; exact-output
+reconciliation remains required before recovery.
+
+`CandidatePublicationBoundaryTest.test_workflow_cancellation_blocks_completed_prerequisite_writers`
+models workflow cancellation independently of successful needs, covers all six
+boundaries and retains the final `always()` evidence/verdict join. Evidence
+uploads and cleanup remain unchanged. This is source-policy regression proof,
+not hosted cancellation acceptance or authorization to retry a frozen workflow.
diff --git a/scripts/release_control/release_promotion_policy_test.py b/scripts/release_control/release_promotion_policy_test.py
index 418e9db2f9..ffe55f628a 100644
--- a/scripts/release_control/release_promotion_policy_test.py
+++ b/scripts/release_control/release_promotion_policy_test.py
@@ -2895,7 +2895,7 @@ class CandidatePublicationBoundaryTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self) -> None:
         self.jobs = yaml.load(read(".github/workflows/create-release.yml"), Loader=UniqueKeyLoader)["jobs"]
 
-    def condition(self, job: str, results: dict[str, str], *, draft: bool = False) -> bool:
+    def condition(self, job: str, results: dict[str, str], *, draft: bool = False, cancelled: bool = False) -> bool:
         # Execute the workflow's Boolean condition with explicit job outcomes.
         # This intentionally fails if the workflow adds an unsupported expression.
         expression = self.jobs[job]["if"].removeprefix("${{").removesuffix("}}").strip()
@@ -2903,10 +2903,38 @@ class CandidatePublicationBoundaryTest(unittest.TestCase):
         expression = expression.replace("needs.prepare.outputs.version", repr("6.4.4-beta.9"))
         expression = expression.replace("needs.prepare.outputs.historical_asset_backfill_only", repr("false"))
         expression = expression.replace("github.event.inputs.draft_only", repr(str(draft).lower()))
+        expression = expression.replace("cancelled()", repr(cancelled))
         expression = expression.replace("always()", "True").replace("&&", " and ").replace("||", " or ")
         expression = re.sub(r"!(?!=)", "not ", expression)
         return bool(eval(expression, {"__builtins__": {}, "startsWith": lambda value, prefix: value.startswith(prefix)}))
 
+    def test_qualified_beta_tag_survives_intentionally_skipped_ancestor(self) -> None:
+        outcomes = dict.fromkeys(self.jobs, "success")
+        outcomes["integration_tests"] = "skipped"
+        self.assertTrue(self.condition("candidate_qualification", outcomes))
+        # Actions applies implicit success() when no status function is present.
+        # A skipped ancestor therefore prevents the writer despite the explicit
+        # qualification result. Model that status gate as well as its expression.
+        writer = self.jobs["publish_release_tag"]
+        has_status = bool(re.search(r"\b(always|success|failure|cancelled)\(", writer["if"]))
+        self.assertTrue(has_status and self.condition("publish_release_tag", outcomes))
+        for dependency in writer["needs"]:
+            for state in ("failure", "cancelled", "skipped"):
+                with self.subTest(dependency=dependency, state=state):
+                    self.assertFalse(self.condition("publish_release_tag", outcomes | {dependency: state}))
+
+    def test_workflow_cancellation_blocks_completed_prerequisite_writers(self) -> None:
+        good = dict.fromkeys(self.jobs, "success")
+        for writer in ("publish_release_tag", "publish_docker", "publish_helm_chart",
+                       "release_readiness", "dispatch_release_convergence", "activate_release"):
+            with self.subTest(writer=writer):
+                self.assertTrue(self.condition(writer, good))
+                # Cancellation is workflow state, not a changed needs.result:
+                # all prerequisites may already have completed successfully.
+                self.assertFalse(self.condition(writer, good, cancelled=True))
+        # Keep the final evidence/verdict join available after cancellation.
+        self.assertTrue(self.condition("release_commit_verdict", good, cancelled=True))
+
     def test_failed_candidate_cannot_reach_any_public_version_writer(self) -> None:
         required = {
             "prepare", "publication_trust_preflight", "build_release_candidate",